it's thursday, january 21st, coming up on "early today," an historic noreaster bringing as much as two feet of snow and others will see a chance of rare january tornados. stocks plunge even deeper as oil drops to prices not seen since 2003. hillary clinton is facing the prosspect that bernie sanders might beat her. and releasing emails related to the toxic water cries. reasons. and snow boarders facing possible criminal charges.

"early today" starts right now. good morning. the biggest storm in a century. that's what some cities face this weekend is a monster winter storm makes its way into the eastern part of the country. as much as two feet of snow in some areas. president obama's motorcade got backed up as eslick roads delayed the commander and chief's return to the white house. and as winter attempts to catch up on what has been a pretty mild season so far. nbc meteorologist bill karins is tracking the storm. >> overnight, minor changes but significant too. storms trending further south and a little colder. and the forecast is now looking worse for areas of tennessee, north carolina. so, this is our european snowfall still pinpointing that

two feet snow back up to washington d.c. but notice now, you're talk about a six inch snow possible into northern mississippi. that's a big deal in the south and a crippling storm where they don't have the equipment to deal with it. and our american model pinpointing the same area from roanoke to washington d.c. and still a possibility now all of a sudden of one to two feet in the mountains of north carona. so, winter watches from memphis all the way up to areas in philadelphia. and washington d.c. and baltimore included in blizzard watch. and now new york city is under a blizzard watch, only expecting a possibility of six to ten inches at most. and as far as the snow, the bull's eye, to d.c. predicting possibly the second greatest snowfall in washington d.c.'s recorded history. >> we're getting a real winter after all.

they say money cannot buy happiness and it can't buy support either. they show that republican are frontrunners donald trump and ted cruz have spent more than $8 million in tv ads combined. this compared to 91 million spent in support of marco rubio and jeb bush. and chris christie and john kasich, that number jumps to 14 times that of outsiders, trump and cruz. speaking of senator cruz, he doesn't have a fan in former presidential nominee, bob dole. he said he questions cruz's loyalty to the republican party and said it would suffer quote cat clizmic and wholesale losses. the former kansas senator was

says has the right personality, although he remains a jeb bush supporter. carry sanders has more from the campaign trail. >> reporter: >> there is an assault on christianity and an assault on guns and everything. >> reporter: donald trump. >> and we're going to stop the assault. >> reporter: and sarah palin. >> thank you so much, oklahoma. >> reporter: the former vice presidential candidate saying trump will give the u.s. military what they now lack. >> let them do their job and go kick isis -- >> reporter: that military theme turned personal for palin. >> i guess the elephant is in the room. >> reporter: the enthusiastic crowd fell silent as she explained her oldest son, track, a veteran was charge would domestic violence.

different, hardened. the question though, it comes from our own president where they have to look at him and wonder, do you know what we go through? >> reporter: with the stop here at oral roberts university and liberty university. >> we're going to protect cris christianity christianity. >> reporter: his focus is now on the evangelical support. while palin may anoint trump with some evangelicals, she's not universally loved by trump supporters. >> i never liked her. i don't like her. >> so, does the indorsement help or hurt trump in your view? >> the people i've talked to, i think it hurts. >> reporter: nbc news, tulsa. >> reporter: in new hampshire, feeling the burn. hillary clinton surrogates ramping up their attacks, now painting bernie sanders as an unelectable socialist. >> i think it would be

impossible for a self-declared socialist to win in a state lie missouri. >> reporter: but bill clinton steering clear of the "s" word saying he's unelectable and can't win. >> the real issue is who can win the it election, who's prepared to do the job, who can make real change. >> reporter: could the socialist line of attack backfire? >> a lot of those voters are going to be capable of looking past that label. >> reporter: the republican national committee tweeting during last weekend's democratic debate, i feel the bern. >> they're trying to prop up bernie sanders. >> reporter: the clinton campaign getting jittery with polls showing her lead slipping. a dead heap in iowa. the campaign down playing any nervousness to andrea mitchell. >> we have a candidate leading throughout the country.

tuesday states by significant margins. >> thanks. we continue to learn more about the flint, michigan water crisis, including new details about decision making. as promised in his state of the state address, governor rick sny snyder's office released emails. in them a september email from a top aid says responsibility lies with the county and city but that the state should be involved to avoid the narrative that they're ducking the responsibility. and snyder asked for status reports and said he acted when he knew and was legally permitted to do so. he has apologized to the people of flint and promises to fix the mess. at the detroit auto show, president obama talked about the crisis in personal terms. >> if i was a parent up there, i

kids' health could be at risk. >> a federal emergency declaration allows them to deliver water, filters and efforts. they unanimously approved $28 million which now goes to vote in the state senate. wall street. the dow closing down 249 points as oil prices continue to tank. good news for drivers, but bad news for a major sector of u.s. economy where businesses are hurting. here with the latest. >> reporter: the markets continue their slide, plunging more than 500 points on a volatile day of trading. the dow and nasdaq both touching their lowest points since august. what's behind the drop? for one china's economy is slowing and no one is quite sure by exactly how much and driving

the sell off, concerns over the price of oil. a sign of economic growth around the world. the price has plummeted down nearly 80% in the past two years. closing below $27 a barrel. the impact on the u.s. economy is mixed. the price of a gallon of gas, the nation wide average is half the price of a gallon of milk. americans are also saving on heating oil and airline fares. but on the flip side, more than 250,000 people lost energy related jobs last year. and for many, there's less money in the bank. since last november, the average american has lost about $9500 in his or her 401 k. >> thanks. experts say the market volatility will continue at least until the price of oil starts to stabilize. one florida woman earned the title super mom. monday night, three people tried

to car jack the car. and the trio turned their attention to a second car. the suspect made it into the driver's seat but the owner wasn't about to the let them get away, especially with her children inside. she pulled the car jacker from the car and they caught the two adults and one juvenile. first there's fire, then ice. a philadelphia apartment building engulfed in flames is now incased in ice. temperatures dipped to the mid-20s while firefighters battled the 4 alarm blaze and here with another check of this crazy weather. and there's going to be a severe weather risk and a threat of tornados. jackson, mississippi, down to batten rouge, all the way back to mobile. and we're going to watch you especially later on tonight. now a closer look at the day ahead. so, the storm will be

strengthening during the day. we already v a wintry mix from little rock up to southern ozarks. everything is calm and quiet as we wait for the storm in areas of the midatlantic. >> you may be calm and quiet, the rest of us are a little nervous about it. the affluenza teen could be back on u.s. soil sooner than later. and a group of snowboarders could face chargers for triggering an avalanche. s trying to turn you into someone new... ...one hair color wants to help you keep on being you. nice'n easy. we only make the most real natural looking color. so even in revealing sunlight, it doesn't look like hair color at all. it looks like, it's a hundred percent you. and isn't that the most beautiful part? v nice'n easy: colorv as real as you are. before earning enough cash back from bank of america to help pay for

before earning 1% cash back everywhere, every time. and 2% back at the grocery store. even before she got 3% back on gas, all with no hoops to jump through. katie used her bankamericard cash rewards credit card to stay warm and toasty during the heat of competition. that's the comfort of rewarding connections. apply online or at a bank of america near you. ibs-d. you know the symptoms when they start. abdominal pain. urgent diarrhea. now there's prescription xifaxan. xifaxan is a new ibs-d treatment that helps relieve your diarrhea and abdominal pain symptoms. and xifaxan works differently. it's a prescription antibiotic that acts mainly in the digestive tract. do not use xifaxan if you have a history of sensitivity to rifaximin, rifamycin antibiotic agents, or any components of xifaxan. tell your doctor right away if your diarrhea worsens while taking xifaxan,

as this may be a sign of a serious or even fatal condition. tell your doctor if you have liver disease or are taking other medications, because these may increase the amount of xifaxan in your body. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan on becoming pregnant, or are nursing. the most common side effects are nausea and an increase in liver enzymes. if you think you have ibs with diarrhea, talk to your doctor about new xifaxan. affluenza teen, ethan couch, could be returning to the u.s. in a couple of weeks, according to his lawyer. he's expected to face a hearing in texas on whether to try him as an adult after fleeing to mexico with his mom last month. this avalanche video went viral and now the snowboarder may now be in deep trouble for

triggering an avalanche as a closed section of the sugar bowl resort in california. they're saying he puts himself, his friends and ski patrol and skiing public at risk. and martin skrely is now subpoenaed to appear before a congressional committee that's investigating companies for price hikes p. and s hikes. he's invoked the fifth amendment and refusing to produce documents, says the chairwoman. this may look like the fourth of july, but it was actually a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in china. 1,000 people were evacuated after windows and doors of nearby homes were destroyed by the blast.

dash cam video from brazil showing showing and the passenger survived with broken bones. walmart increasing hourly pay to at least $10 an hour starting next month. more than 1.2 million hourly workers in the u.s. will receive pay increases and they'll provide basic short-term disability at no cost. the comedian stated it's time to send the cars back in to the world for someone else to enjoy. the problem with having too many porshas. they'll auction them on march 11th in florida. and just ahead, we'll have more, sports is next. stay with us. . see me. see me. don't stare at me. see me. see me. see me to know that psoriasis is just something that i have. i'm not contagious. see me to know that i won't stop. until i find what works. discover cosentyx,

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this morning on "today," a new report reveals explosive details about the fatal poisoning of a former kgb spy who claimed on his death bed killing. and the buffalo bills are the first franchise to hire a full time female coach. she was named special teams quality control coach. she joins along with rex ryan in

before that, mostly with the player personnel assistant. and michigan state almost pulled out a last second thriller. and he ends umnailing the three. incredible. moments later, valentine misses out. nebraska hands the spartans their third straight loss. villanueva got a scare. they pulled out their 9th straight win. but number six west virginia falling to the visiting texas long horns, 56-49. and a little tenderness at the australian open. he noticed a ball girl appeared to be crying. he stopped play to check her out. she apparently was struck in the face with the ball. he escorted her off the court and by the way, he won the match.

just ahead, the hottest names in music will perform at this year's grammys and girls across america will be swooning after this. zack effron showing ellen his moves in leather pants. southern parallel. we had traveled for over 850 miles. my men driven nearly mad from starvation and frostbite. today we make history. >>bienvenidos! welcome to the south pole! if you're dora the explorer, you explore. it's what you do. >>what took you so long? if you want to save on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. >>you did it, yay! new pantene expert gives you the most beautiful hair ever, with our strongest pro-v formula ever. strong is beautiful. announcement: this storm promises to be the with total accumulation

down indefinitely. and schools are closed. campbell's soups go great with a cold and a nice red.

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to 11:00 this evening and friday we'll have no snow from tennessee to kentucky and through friday evening, the heavy snow, the real wallop will be -- we're looking at a crippling snow storm and even as far west as kentucky. now to entertainment news. the line up for grammy performances has been announced. adel, kendrick lamar and the weekend will all be hitting the stage. and this will be adel's first time performing at the ceremony in four years. and jennifer lawrence is in a movie focusing on her relationship with castro before she helped the cia with the assassination attempt. "star wars" fans will have to wait until 2017 for episode 8.

december. >> they're trying to rake in all the dollars they can. ganger. a photo of a cat that looks a little bit like the star war "star wars" actor has gone viral. they'll have a tribute to legendary director james burrows. he directed "taxi", "friends", he's a legend. it will air february 21st at 9:00 a.m. and zack effron got a little down and dirty with ellen check it out. [ applause ] >> lap dancing. >> yeah. dancing. this is "early today." if you're looking to save

money on your medicare part d prescriptions, walgreens says, carpe med diem. seize the day to get more out of life and medicare part d. just switch to walgreens for savings that'll be the highlight of your day. now preview the cost of your copay before you fill. you can even get one-dollar copays on select plans. i'm jerry bell the second. and i'm jerry bell the third. i'm like a big bear and he's my little cub. this little guy is non-stop. he's always hanging out with his friends. you've got to be prepared to sit at the edge of your seat and be ready to get up. there's no "deep couch sitting." definitely not good for my back. this is the part i really don't like right here. (doorbell) what's that? a package! it's a swiffer wetjet. it almost feels like it's moving itself. this is kind of fun. that comes from my floor? eww! this is deep couch sitting. [jerry bell iii]

>> this is 7news now. >> christa: it's official. we've made it to thursday as we watch this storm moving our way. we're good to go for "today in new england." >> sarah: here's some of the stories you're working on. if you talk on your cell phone or use it as a gps while driving in massachusetts, you could soon be facing big fines. the state senate will debate parts of a from posed hand-held device ban today, including what penalties drivers would face if the law passes. >> christa: and students up in methuen heading back to class after a threat wednesday canceled school. kids leaving their backpacks behind so they could be searched. that was outside of the high school yesterday. >> sarah: this morning we're hearing from the driver saved by patriots' linebacker darius fleming. fleming kicked out the win deof

a car filling up with smoke and helped this woman get out. >> christa: and winter weather causing lots of trouble in washington, d.c. last night about an inch of snow fell bringing the commute to a halt. a bigger winter storm is headed east toward that area. it could bring a little snow for us, but that's an inch of snow, and it snarled traffic down there. i don't know what they're going to do this weekend when they have over a foot. >> sarah: that video of the cars lined up is crazy. but it might not be much of an issue for us, rightious chris? >> chris: no, especially fors be on north. that goes to show you, even an inch of snow during the wrong time can create a traffic snarl and icy roads down in d.c. they're expect one to two feet on the next storm. 23 in boston. 16 in worcester right now. the breeze 5 to 10mph. there's the good news. the wind not as strong today as the last couple days. still cold wind-chill factors down into the lower teens and upper single digits. overall looking good as we go throughout the day.

winter gear needed for the kiddo, but overall with lighter winds this afternoon, i think we'll do all right. here's the storm system working its way down toward the deep south. going to collect a lot of moisture. this will become a formidable snowstorm down in d.c. blizzard watch posted close to new york city out into long island, a blizzard watch posted. we're right on the edge of this storm. this is going to be a sharp cut-off storm in terms of snow potential. it's almost an all-or-nothing storm, but i think we'll get some snow out of it. the further south you go. the best chance ulis have to see snow would be saturday night into sunday morning. this is an early glance at what we expect, maybe a couple inches to boston, more likely three to six down through interior southeastern mass with lower totals to the north. big totals just to the south of us. more on forecast as today "today in new england" starts right now. >> christa: when and where you use your cell phone up for discussion today at the statehouse. we'll have more on the penalties

you could be facing.